Another slow draining/bubbling thread

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Scott16

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Hey, I'm a new member but have been reading other's posts for a while. I've got a toilet in my 2nd floor master that's got a slow drain and bubbles just a little when flushed. My assumption is there's a clog that the auger and chemicals can't touch, but before I take the whole thing off I thought I'd post on here and see if another detail about the situation means anything.

For the past few weeks we've noticed a bad smell (like what I imagine gunked-up pipes smell like) in the bathroom in the mornings when showering. It seems like the smell is coming from the sinks, but I'm not 100% sure. My guess is this is an air-flow/ventilation issue, so I'm wondering if the toilet is affected by the same thing.

My house is pretty tall (full attic above the 2nd floor) and I don't have a ladder tall enough to get on the roof (which is pretty steep...) and check/flush the vent.

Is removing the toilet an easy enough job that I might as well try it? Does the smell mean it's probably not the toilet anyway? Since it's on the 2nd floor would I be able to see a backup in the mainline if I removed the toilet? All the other toilets/showers/sinks work just fine.
 

Jadnashua

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You'll need a new wax ring and if the supply hose is old, it might not hurt to replace it as well, but it's usually not a big deal to remove a toilet. The area that could be an issue is if they sealed the toilet to the floor, and with what! Some are easy to remove, some (like a full silicon) means that the toilet is going to be really stuck, and getting it up can be a major pain. The thing is heavy, but a healthy person should not have a problem lifting it once it is free from the sealant (if it exists - it should).
 

Gary Swart

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I would also get new brass or stainless steel flange bolts just in case the old ones are in bad shape, and a tube of polyseal. The wax ring should be a plain one, no plastic funnel. If the flange is recessed, then a thicker ring would be needed. The flange should have been installed on top of the finished floor, but if a new floor was laid at some time, the flange could be recessed.
 
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